And instead of Jimmy Rollins, the player here is Giants defensive lineman Justin Tuck.

"The players here and the coaching staff," Tuck told Paul Schwartz of the New York Post in reference to why the Giants are the team to beat. "The experience, we have been there and done it. We know what it takes to get there. No one can deny that the team we had last year was headed that way until we got some injuries here and there, along with distractions. All of that happens for a reason. On paper I think the team to beat is definitely us."

Ok, so he's not exactly calling anybody out or making a powerful declaration. But, given the fact that professional athletes find motivation in the most ridiculous of places, we thought the quote warranted some attention.

More interesting to me than the "team to beat" part is the "along with distractions" quote, an obvious reference to the Plaxico Burress situation.

The Giants started their offseason workout program this week, and as expected, Burress did not attend. Per Schwartz, he is due for a March 31 court date on felony gun charges.

Like the Eagles, the Giants have been linked to every offseason wide receiver rumor out there. But, also like the Eagles, they have made no additions at wideout, instead focusing on bulking up the defensive line during free agency.

By the way, now would be a good time to explain what that sound icon is next to the headline of each post on the blog. You can click on it to listen to the entry being read aloud. Is it a little creepy? Sure. But kind of cool nonetheless. I was pushing for a female with an Australian accent for the voice, but instead we got some dude. Maybe if MTC continues to grow traffic, we can put pressure on management to make the change.

Sheil Kapadia is in his fifth season writing about the Eagles and the NFL for philly.com. His earliest
memories as a sports fan include several trips to Veterans Stadium with
his Dad. He's not a beat writer or an Insider, but is here to
discuss the NFL 365 days a year. E-mail him at skapadia@philly.com or
by clicking here